The saying that experience cannot be bought proved true in the first Olympic men’s singles table tennis match.
The saying that experience cannot be bought proved true in Edward Ly’s first Olympic men’s singles table tennis match on Sunday night in Paris. Facing the 44-year-old Greek Panagiotis Gionis, who is playing in his sixth consecutive Games, the 21-year-old from Lachine was short of answers to his opponent’s very effective defensive play.
Ly lost 4-0 (11-6, 11-8, 11-8 and 11-4) and his biggest lead in the match was only 2 points. He emphasizes after his defeat that a duel at the Olympic Games is nothing like what he had already experienced in sport.
It’s a completely different feeling from all the other competitions. Something I’ve never felt, but it was much better than I thought. I was prepared before the match knowing that I would be stressed.
Edward Ly
Ly made several power attacks, adding a little more precision as the match progressed, but Gionis constantly managed to return the ball into play by varying his shots and his effects.
“His style of play, you don’t find much of it in the circuit. He’s an exceptional defender and in my opinion, he’s the best defender in the world. He had experience at the Olympic Games. […] I am disappointed with the defeat and I would have preferred to play a closer match. The second and third sets were opportunities that I did not seize and that cost me the match.
Does he have any regrets?
“Not necessarily. It’s more lessons and aspects [de mon jeu] that I have to work even better,” said the man who is now an Olympian.
PHOTO JUNG YEON-JE, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Edward Ly
“Every athlete who is here is nervous especially in the first match and I don’t think that’s the cause of the result,” commented Canadian coach Hongtao Chen. “There was a little difference in level between Edward and his opponent. He could have won, but he would have had to go beyond his limits. He gained a lot of experience in this match.”
In other Canadian results of the day in the round of 64, Eugene Wang lost 4-0 (11-3, 11-6, 11-7 and 13-11) to Japan’s Shunsuke Togami. On the women’s side, Mo Zhang emerged victorious 4-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-7 and 11-8) against Chile’s Paulina Vega.
Small stadium, big atmosphere
The competition stage at the Arena Paris Sud 4 is rather intimate compared to La Défense Arena where the swimming events are held. However, the call-and-response songs, rallying cries and foot-stomping of the spectators were enough to make the aluminum stands shake to cheer on Félix Lebrun, the 17-year-old French star.
The third racket of the tournament beat the Indian Harmmet Desai 4-0 and did his lap of honour to the tune of the Marseillaise sung at the top of his lungs by the spectators.
The Canadian men’s table tennis players will be in the team competition on Monday, August 5. In the first round, they will face the Germans, ranked second in the world.